Can we use rank function over random and another db field? - sql

Question

Code :
select name,rank() over (order by name asc) as rank,
ABS(CAST(CAST(NEWID() AS VARBINARY) AS INT)) AS [RandomNumber]
from Student
I would like to combine random number and name to get rank

Answer 1

I do not know why you want to use a random number with rank() instead of just using row_number(), but it goes something like this:
rextester: http://rextester.com/OLKI98516
create table student(
id int not null identity(1,1) primary key
, name varchar(255) not null
);
insert into student values
('Santosh'),('Kumar'),('Reddy'),('Badugula'),('SqlZim')
,('Emma'),('Xandra'),('Naida'),('Daria'),('Colby'),('Yetta')
,('Zena'),('Deacon'),('Francis'),('Lilah'),('Risa'),('Lee')
,('Vanna'),('Molly'),('Destiny'),('Tallulah'),('Meghan')
,('Deacon'),('Francis'),('Daria'),('Colby');
select
name
, RandomNumber = abs(cast(cast(newid() as varbinary) as int))
, Name_w_RandomNumber = concat(name, '_', abs(cast(cast(newid() as varbinary) as int)))
, rank = rank() over (order by name asc)
, row_number = row_number() over (order by name asc)
, rank_w_Rand = rank() over (order by name,abs(cast(cast(newid() as varbinary) as int)) asc)
from student
results:
+----------+--------------+---------------------+------+------------+-------------+
| name | RandomNumber | Name_w_RandomNumber | rank | row_number | rank_w_Rand |
+----------+--------------+---------------------+------+------------+-------------+
| Badugula | 1105357025 | Badugula_1036749632 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Colby | 1125329440 | Colby_1442709274 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Colby | 1891932149 | Colby_1045919975 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Daria | 1494409363 | Daria_112566484 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Daria | 666341314 | Daria_262264162 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Deacon | 1530588472 | Deacon_1783529467 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Deacon | 350443065 | Deacon_1150932866 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Destiny | 2007923301 | Destiny_793747374 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Emma | 435476101 | Emma_659930976 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Francis | 1638790395 | Francis_2132056162 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Francis | 793873129 | Francis_756254272 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
| Kumar | 20071275 | Kumar_2007808448 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Lee | 2069120264 | Lee_837143565 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Lilah | 1319087807 | Lilah_605243166 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Meghan | 487733175 | Meghan_1884481541 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Molly | 2086860257 | Molly_1914281986 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Naida | 169335218 | Naida_719205571 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Reddy | 528578158 | Reddy_1297094295 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Risa | 1826403411 | Risa_1530611023 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Santosh | 723134579 | Santosh_487617337 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| SqlZim | 937324776 | SqlZim_738072767 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Tallulah | 521881065 | Tallulah_1717653898 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| Vanna | 1508284361 | Vanna_1620612208 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Xandra | 532483290 | Xandra_493053714 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Yetta | 1735945301 | Yetta_1548495144 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Zena | 311372084 | Zena_1429570716 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
+----------+--------------+---------------------+------+------------+-------------+

Answer 2

Here is the query I was referring to in my comment, not pretty but functional. You asked so here it is, if I am correct I still would never use a random value myself as each time you run it you will get different results.
select name,
rank() over (order by name,
ABS(CAST(CAST(NEWID() AS VARBINARY) AS INT))) asc) as rank
from Student
EDIT: With cte to show random number, NEWID() is guaranteed unique but not sure if it will still be when using ABS, you will need to look into that.
with cteQry As
( select name, ABS(CAST(CAST(NEWID() AS VARBINARY) AS INT))) NewIdVal
from Student
)
select name, NewIdVal,
rank() over (order by name, NewIdVal asc) as rank
from cteQry